Tuesday, 6 May 2014

What is corruption? Sometimes it is very difficult to differentiate corruption with other crimes. For example, when someone stealing money from government, people call it as a corruption. Someone who steals money from government, a public money, is called corruptor. But, why don't we call him or her as thief? I think thief and corruptor is similar. However, a corruptor usually steals a lot of money from government, but a thief steals a little money only. Let's differentiate the term just like that.

Do in an almost zero country like NZ there is no corruption at all? I know a little about this. I just read that even in some universities there had been a problem with the misuse of government funds. However, through a powerful enforcement agency, the misuse of funds would be investigated.

What has been an interesting practice for me is the stealing of money from government. Last week I met two mens. One of them just divorced from his couple. He told me about how a citizen could manipulate the government. In NZ, if your income is under the minimum standard of living, the government will subsidize your income from public funds. One type of subsidies is called Supported Living Payment. You can read more and simulate the scheme from this site:

https://services.workandincome.govt.nz/cos/ieg/Screening.do?executionID=8575009821164568576&playerID=-6593535936284327936&readOnly=null
and
http://www.workingforfamilies.govt.nz/childcare-assistance/

However, there are some people who take job illegally. It could be, for example, a wife working illegally and only the husband working legally. Consequently, not all of their income as a household would be recorded. Then, they would receive subsidize from the government. This is what I call a thief. I heard from those some people practice it just to have more money.

So maybe in a country you would not have many corruptors, but could have many thief. Do you know how to solve this problem?